1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a portable computer that is easy to carry around.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Prior art portable computers have one disadvantage that is a dilemma. On a typical conventional portable computer, the longitudinally center Of its alphanumeric key arrangement is not aligned with that of its body. Such a key arrangement includes the universal QWERTY key arrangement whose keys correspond to ASCII characters. On the other hand, the longitudinal center of the display section of such a computer is centered in the lid portion thereof (as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4497036). If the user positions himself at the center of this key arrangement so as to operate the keyboard in the easiest manner, he finds the display section out of center from the key arrangement and thus rather awkward to watch. Conversely, if the user positions himself at the longitudinally center of the display section so as to watch the screen in the easiest manner, he finds the keys corresponding to the ASCII characters, out of the center with respect to the display section and thus rather awkward to operate.
The portable computer is required physically to incorporate varieties of parts in the limited internal space thereof. This in turn requires making the parts smaller and optimally laying them out so as to make the most of the available space. It is for these reasons that the parts are arranged in a highly concentrated manner in the body and lid portion of the portable computer. Meanwhile, on the typical conventional portable computer, an inverter for driving LCD back-lights is installed inside the body, taking up additional space. If space for inverter is not necessary, hardware for performing new functions may be added in such space.
Furthermore, the conventional portable computer has a contrast adjusting dial and a brightness adjusting dial, mounted on its body. Since these dials are associated with the display section, the wiring between the dials and the display section is necessarily long. From an operator's point of view, all display-related controls should preferably be mounted on the lid portion that comprises the display section.
On the portable computer, the indicators including those related to the power supply thereof are all located in the top left corner of the keyboard. With the lid portion closed, these indicators are still visible from the outside (e.g., on Toshiba's portable computer J3100SS). However, there is obviously no need for the operation-related indicators to be visible when the lid portion is closed; these indicators need only be seen when the keyboard is operated. On the other hand, power-related indicators should preferably be seen and checked whether or not the computer is in use. The indicator section needs circuits that drive individual indicators and their wiring; again the circuits and the wiring take up additional space. However, these indicators do not occupy as much space as, say, the batteries do. And given their light-weight characteristic, the operation-related indicators are not required to be attached to the body. If the operation-related indicators are mounted somewhere else, the evacuated space in the body may accommodate hardware for performing other functions which will boost the overall performance of the computer.